Depending on how early you get your arrêté and which consulate
serves your state/province (refer to Documents
& Links page for the list of consulates), you may be able to
apply for your visa through mail. However, the only consulates in the US that
still allow mail-in applications are Los Angeles (but only if you live
in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico or Southern Nevada) and Washington D.C. All three consulates
in Canada, as well as Australia and New Zealand, now require personal appearances (or so it says on their websites,
but I know some Canadian assistants who mailed their applications). In general, most consulates require you to make an appointment through their website and go in person to the consulate in order to apply for the visa. Then it will be mailed back to you in 2-3 weeks (in the self-addressed Express Mail envelope that you provided.)

Which consulate do you have to go to? From Carolyn: Most assistants apply to the consulate that corresponds to the region where their parents live, or to the region where they attended university. The visa service generally defines your region of residency as the region where you have lived for the past 6 months, but this rule is not set in stone as there are a number of applicants who have just moved or graduated from college. Some consulates require proof of residency (i.e. a utilities bill) when you apply for the visa to show that you live in their region of authority. If you cannot provide a utilities bill in your name, many consulates will also accept a utilities bill and letter written on your behalf by your "host" (parents, landlord, etc.), stating that you live under their roof. The required documentation for proof of residency can vary by consulate, so please go to your consulate's website for more detailed information.

If you do not currently live in your country of nationality, you can probably obtain your visa for France in the country of your current residence, as long as you can prove that you are a legal resident there and not just a tourist. I know assistants coming directly from Taiwan and South Korea have had success in doing this.

You will be applying for a Long Stay
Visa (for the purpose of working in France, not as a visitor!) and there is NO fee for this. You must fill out the visa in French
and all of the questions are in French, but there is an English
translation of the questions available and you can see how I filled
out my application
here or below. You must use your original documents when applying,
so if you go in person, make sure to get the originals back before leaving.
If you mail your application in, make sure to put post-it notes on the
originals so that they will be returned to you. This is what I needed
for the Chicago consulate, back when they allowed visa applications by
mail: passport and a photocopy of the first page, two application forms
filled out, the original arrêté and one photocopy, and three
photos (two attached to the applications, and one left loose).

New Procedures as of June 1st, 2009

Long-stay visa holders will be allowed to reside in France for up to 12 months according to the validity of their visa and purpose of stay. They will no longer be required to obtain a residence permit ("carte de séjour") through the French local authorities ("Préfecture"). However, these long stay visa holders will have to register to the French Office of Immigration and Integration (OFII) during the first three months of their stay in France. Please note that the new regulations applicable to long stay visas will require a longer processing time as they will serve as residence permits.

When you apply for your visa, you will also need to include the OFII form so that the consulate can stamp it. After your arrival in France, you will need to send it to the OFII along with a copy of your passport and the immigration stamp received at the border. Then your medical visit will be scheduled, after which you will receive a registration stamp in your passport that serves as your residence permit and acts as a replacement for the carte de séjour.

English Translation of visa application and suggested answers to some
questions:

Please fill the visa application form out completely. Please use
a pen and print in capital letters. Select yes or no with a ‘x’.
Please do not fill out the column on the right.

1. Last name
2. First name
3. Gender
4. Date of birth (day/month/year)
5. Place of birth
6. Country of birth
7. Other names : maiden, alias, pseudonyms
8. Present Nationality
answer: Use the feminine form of the adjective even if you are male, because
it's agreeing with nationalité, which is feminine
9. Nationality of Origin
10. Type of travel document : passport, laissez-passer, diplomatic or
official passport, refugee travel document.
11. Travel document number
12. Nationality of travel document
13. Date (d/m/y) and place of issue of travel document
14. Date (d/m/y) of expiration of this document
15. Permanent address and phone number
16. Profession
answer: ASSISTANT(E) D’ANGLAIS
17. Employer (name, title and address)
answer: Name, address and phone number of school in France
18. Civil status : single, married, separated, divorced or widow(er)
19. If you are NOT a citizen of the country in which you are applying,
please write the information from your Alien registration card : number,
date and place issued, by whom, and expiration date.
20. If you plan to travel with members of your family, please indicate
: relationship, name, date of birth and nationality.
21. Purpose of stay in France (study, work…etc) and for what length
of time ?
answer: POUR ETRE ASSISTANT(E) D’ANGLAIS and 7 MOIS (or 9 MOIS)
22. What will your address be in France ?
answer: Name, address and phone number of school in France (unless, of
course, you already have a place to live in France)
23. Will you seek employment in France ? If yes, what type ? Name, complete
address, and telephone number of employer.
answer: X on OUI and ASSISTANT(E) D’ANGLAIS and name, address and
phone number of school in France
24. Will you be a student in France ? If yes, what kind of studies ? Name
and address of the school or university.
answer: Only fill this out if you have already been accepted into a program.
Mark NON if you intend on studying in France, but haven't applied or been
accepted anywhere yet.
25. Will you be in France for an internship ? If yes, what kind of internship.
Name and address of the organization.
answer: Only fill this out if you have already been accepted for an internship.
26. Explain your financial means during your stay in France (salary, personal
incomes, parental support) Will you receive a scholarship while in France
? If yes, name and address of the organization that granted the scholarship.
Please indicate the amount.
answer: LA REMUNERATION MENSUELLE and MES ECONOMIES PERSONELLES (monthly
pay and my personal savings) and X on NON below
27. Do you have any relatives in France ? If yes, please indicate their
name, nationality, relationship, address and telephone number .
28. Do you have any sponsors in France ? (contact or friend) If yes, please
indicate their name, nationality, title, address and telephone number.
answer: Just mark NON for this one, unless you really do have a close
friend/significant other in France and want to write their info.
29. Have you ever spent more than three consecutive months in France ?
If yes, what was the purpose and dates of your stay ? Address ?

Fait à= City where you signed this form
Le= Date

Please do NOT forget to glue an original i.d. photo to the front,
lower right-hand corner of the application.

If your consulate lets you apply by mail, you also need to include a
copy of your plane or e-ticket (so they know what arrival date to put
on your visa) and an Express Mail pre-stamped self-addressed envelope
(which costs $14.40 at the post office). Keep in mind that some consulates
require more paperwork or a different type of envelope, so
make sure to check on your consulate's website first. You can get two
passport photos at Kinko's for $12.95. I bought the two there and then
scanned and printed more copies (of various sizes) at home on photo paper.
I mailed my application on July 17 using Certified Mail (which cost $2.40)
so that I could track it online. You can also send it Registered Mail
(which costs $7.90) if you'd like insurance coverage. The Chicago consulate
received my application on July 21, and I received my visa on July 28.

Please note that some consulates have made assistants pay for this visa
in the past. You might want to print out this
page from France Diplomatie that states the assistant visa is free
and bring it with you to your appointment just in case. Canadian assistants
in particular have had different experiences regarding payment for the
visa. According to the Canadian liaison for the program, however, the
visa should be free.

I received the third e-mail on July 19, which included specific information
about each consulate and applying for visas. You can download it here.

I received the fourth e-mail on August 24, which included information
on what to do if you hadn't received your arrêté yet. You
can download it here.